Military Spouse Detained by ICE Amid Deployment Preparations
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, operating under the Trump administration, recently detained the wife of a U.S. sergeant major at a military base in Louisiana, coinciding with her husband’s preparations for deployment.
Annie Ramos, 22, was arrested last Thursday, just days after marrying 23-year-old Matthew Blank, a soldier with over five years of service, including tours in the Middle East and Europe. The New York Times initially reported the incident on Sunday.
Ramos, a biochemistry student and Sunday school teacher with no criminal background, faced deportation in 2005 after her family missed an immigration court hearing during her childhood. Prior to their wedding, Blank and Ramos had enlisted the services of a lawyer to initiate the legal process, as marriage can facilitate pathways for undocumented immigrants to gain legal permanent residency and ultimately apply for citizenship.
Blank acknowledged Ramos’s immigration status, stating, “I knew she didn’t have any status. But we were doing everything the right way.”
In 2020, Ramos applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a federal program designed to protect undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as children from deportation. However, her application remains pending due to the Trump administration’s suspension of new applications.
As Blank prepares for imminent deployment training at Fort Polk, he expressed the couple’s plans to secure Ramos’s military ID and activate her spouse benefits shortly after their wedding. “Instead, she was taken away from me,” he lamented.
This case highlights a notable inconsistency in the Trump’s administration’s immigration policies, which ostensibly aimed to prioritize the removal of dangerous criminals. However, the campaign has increasingly impacted the families of military personnel and veterans, overlooking their service to the nation.
According to The New York Times, on April 2, Blank and Ramos, accompanied by their parents, arrived at the Fort Polk Visitor Center with identification documents. Upon being asked about her immigration status, Ramos noted that while her family lacked a visa or green card, their lawyer had prepared the required applications. Following this, ICE agents were summoned, resulting in her detention.
Described as “interrogation room” by Blank’s family, Ramos was placed in handcuffs and transported to another facility. Despite the circumstances, Blank’s parents reported that ICE officers expressed regret over the situation but cited orders from higher authorities as justification for their actions.
Following her detention, Ramos was transferred to a facility in Basile, Louisiana. Blank’s family faced hindrances during their visit, being denied the ability to present documents or sign the prepared green card application.
“I grew up here just like any other American. This is all I know,” Ramos conveyed during a conversation with The New York Times. “My husband and family are here.”
ICE has not yet responded to inquiries from various news outlets regarding this incident.
